Posts Tagged energy
510km-Band Together BC reaches the halfway mark!
Posted by greatbearblog in Uncategorized on August 7, 2012
Kim Slater is almost at the halfway point of her 1170 km journey across BC that began at the BC Alberta border on July 8, 2012. Along the way, she has been connecting with individuals and communities about clean energy and alternatives to the Northern Gateway pipeline, with 2 notable gatherings in Williams Lake and Prince George.
Some of the ideas for a clean energy future that have emerged from these gatherings include: investing in renewables like solar, wind, geothermal, algae, tidal and micro-hydro; building community capacity for food and energy production; natural and green building, investing in bike and electric car infrastructure; and using energy more responsibly.” According to dialogue participants some of the barriers to making the transition to a clean energy future include a lack of political will, corporate power, an individualistic society and a lack of financial support from government and banking institutions.
“The dialogue participants have expressed a common interest in building resilient communities and finding creative ways of investing in local self-sustaining economies, food systems and renewable energy as well as reducing needless waste and over consumption;” observed Kim. “The sessions have been really optimistic.” Organizations such as Transition Town, which has a chapter in Williams Lake, offer many great examples for growing localism and self-sufficient communities; excellent alternatives to increasing our dependency on fossil fuels and growing the oil and gas industry that relies heavily on government subsidies, foreign ownership and fluctuating commodity prices.
Several more gatherings are planned, with details of the next two as follows: • Smithers: August 7, 7 pm (Old Church Venue) • Hazelton: August 9, 7 pm (Storytellers Venue)
On July 8, Kim Slater began her journey across the province to engage Northern communities in dialogue on renewable energy and alternatives to expanding the tar sands. She is sharing these informal conversations on the campaign website and blog, You Tube, Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The Countdown is ON! Only 6 days until Kim Slater takes off across BC on her own two feet
Posted by greatbearblog in Expeditions, Uncategorized on June 13, 2012
Dear Friends,
There seem to be more and more of you everywhere I turn–people taking action to protect future generations and all that is sacred- our health & well being, communities & democracy, and our life-sustaining Earth. In a time of much uncertainty and in some ways darkness, this surge of positive intention and enlightened action is truly heartening. I am inspired and so grateful for your words, images and actions.
I’d like to share some news and also provide a quick update regarding Band Together BC and my run to further dialogue on renewable energy options and tar sands alternatives.
First the news…On Sunday I ran my first marathon and discovered that it’s possible to run 42.2 km and still walk afterwards (well, hobble). I finished in good time, a little soggy and blistery, but otherwise in good shape. Just 28 more to go…
Fundraising
Thanks to many generous donations, Band Together has reached $10, 514, which means just $4,486 is needed to reach the fundraising goal of $15,000. There’s just 6 days left to get there and every little bit helps, so if you haven’t made a donation and you’d like to, please head on over to the super convenient fundraising platform, Indiegogo.
The funds are needed to cover the bare essentials of my run (e.g. support vehicle, waste veggie conversion, food); my team and I are volunteering our time. AND the funds will be re-donated at the end of the campaign when the vehicle is sold. Spreading the word is just as important, so feel free to share the link in social media land.
Schedule and Gatherings
I leave July 8th and the schedule is still a work in progress. I am still seeking on the ground support in terms of arranging dialogue sessions. If you are interested in hosting one (which you can do even if I’m not running through your community) give me a shout and we’ll sort something out! Media coverage is also important to share the ideas that come out of these sessions with the world, so please let me know if you have connections in that way.
Great partnerships are developing.
On my journey, I will be sharing Tides Canada excellent report called: A New Energy Vision for Canada. Tides is seeking endorsement for a national energy strategy in their Statement of Support. Find out more here: http://tidescanada.org/energy/newenergy/
Thank you for your support!
Please continue to share your ideas and suggestions towards the creation of a national energy strategy that considers tar sands alternatives.
With gratitude,
Kim
http://www.bandtogetherbc.com
http://www.facebook.com/BandTogetherbc
